A New Era of Cycling: Washington’s Scenic Bikeways Take Shape
State Parks officials evaluate route proposals while bicyclists anticipate a diverse collection of new rides.
I once pedaled along Stateline Road south of Walla Walla, Washington, guiding my tires directly atop the yellow line that separated two states. Looking left, I saw Washington State. To the right, Oregon.
The scenery on both sides, of course, was the same. Wheat fields and vineyards spread across gently rolling hills. While that line represented a human-drawn boundary, it was still one land.
I’m reminded of that ride as I contemplate the imminent unveiling of Washington’s new scenic bikeways program. I’m deeply familiar with Oregon’s spectacular bikeways network, and I anticipate the official routes soon to be devised in the Evergreen State will be equally rewarding. It’s still one land, after all.
Washington State Parks plans to announce as many as five designated routes by the end of Summer 2026, according to Bry Osmonson, the parks’ scenic bikeways coordinator, but there’s much to do before that can happen. Local advocates across the state are putting together proposals right now, nominating their best routes. Once that window closes on Nov. 30, no more than 15 make the first cut.
What constitutes a Washington State scenic bikeway? Each nominated route will be evaluated on paper against the state parks’ criteria and then reviewed on wheels by Bry and an advisory team.
Route Diversity
In the end, selected bikeways will symbolize what Washington State has to offer.
“I would say they will be representative,” Bry said this week. “I don’t think it’s even possible to say what the best (bikeways) are.”
The program will consider diverse types of roads and trails and look at safety factors such as traffic density, bike lanes, availability of shared-use paths, and road shoulders. And nominated routes “should have exceptional scenic, cultural, historic or recreational value,” she said. “Ideally, it would have all four of those components. I hope we’ll have at least a couple per route.
“It’s just trying to layer all these different components together. People want all sorts of different experiences, too, which is part of the challenge. Scenic bikeways don’t all fit in this tiny box.”
Washington State Parks representatives talked with their Oregon counterparts and some valuable lessons were shared. How much of the Washington program is fashioned after the Oregon bikeways, I asked.
“Quite a bit,” Bry said. “We definitely had some background conversations. Oregon is the only state with a program, so we looked to them for examples and advice.
“They have a lot of really long, mostly road-based routes,” she said of Oregon’s 18 scenic bikeways established between 2009 and 2024. “Ideally, we would like to offer a wide variety that appeals to a lot of folks. We might not get a super broad, diverse array of routes in this first round, but hopefully this program goes on for a long time and eventually we will have a great collection.”
As we talked, I scanned a Washington State map in my mind. A wine country ride out of Walla Walla would be good, I said. So, too, would be something on Whidbey Island or perhaps the San Juan Islands.
I couldn’t stop. There’s the car-free, paved Chehalis Western Trail near Olympia and the Olympic Discovery Trail on the Olympic Peninsula. Mountain climbs? I thought about Spirit Lake Highway up to the Mt. St. Helens interpretive centers and Hurricane Ridge from Port Angeles. Scenery galore.
As I name-dropped, I realized Bry was looking over her own paper map. She was not at liberty to confirm submitted route nominations or which communities had reached out. She shared a subtle smile, however, that I interpreted as tacit confirmation that I was on the right track.
The Process
Bry said this is just the beginning of a five-step process. The first step is to accept route nominations from cycling groups, tribes, and local agencies. Once that deadline passes this month, an evaluation committee will select as many as 15 proponents to formally pitch their route proposals.
Up to five successful plans will then advance to begin discussions with the state on how the route details will come together. “We’ll write a memorandum of understanding with all of the stakeholders involved in implementing a route,” Bry said. “We certainly would like municipalities or counties along our designated routes to work to keep up their bikeway surfaces.”
Bry is optimistic that up to five routes will be announced by the end of the summer. “Maybe it’s an ambitious timeline, but I think we can stick to it. We’ve been doing program development for a couple of years, so we have a good foundation to build this program.”
Those decisions will become the foundation of my 2027 travel schedule. I’ll want to ride these bikeways as soon as possible.
Dan Shryock is a travel writer and career journalist who focuses on cycle tourism. Based in Oregon, his work has appeared in magazines and websites in California and the Pacific Northwest. His book, “Cycling Across Oregon: Stories, Surprises & Revelations Along the State’s Scenic Bikeways” is available on Amazon.
Good to see Washington getting into recognized, recommended bike touring routes.